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I will also add that I was not happy with the photos for my recently sold house. My realtor hired a professional photographer but he did not do a good job and in a couple of cases, left visible clutter that I had expected would be temporarily removed while he was taking the pictures. Not real messes, just things like baskets with papers - they looked neat enough for showings, but were much too front and center in the photos. But that didn't stop me for getting lots and lots of showings and selling quickly.
Obviously, the clutter didn't cause a problem but that's really on your agent. They or someone who works with them really should be there when the photographer shows up so that they can make sure your house is properly "staged" for the photos. Photographers are just there to take a picture. They don't clean up and they don't rearrange furniture. Agents know that.
[quote=NinaN;36376436]If he's willing to part ways and you want to, then get the cancellation contract signed (make sure you don't have an ongoing commission obligation).
Personally, my bigger issue w him would be the fact that he has no qualms w the unauthorized use of someone else's photos (a big no no, unless he called and asked the agent), and the fact that he won't listen to your requests.
No it's not too late to call back the other agents. If they were willing to take the listing in the first place, I'm sure they would be happy to take it now.
But I also advise you to sit back and consider his comment on you micro-managing? Are you? You don't need to share or justify to us, just toss it around in your head for a while.[/
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Thank you, NinaN. I like your response. Yes, just downloading those photos as he did does raise questions! What else might he did that isn't right or legal? He didn't want to listen to my suggestions for modifying the description either--which was inaccurate and misleading. I do understand no one wants to feel micromanaged (had that happen to me, once, too) and apparently this fellow feels that way. It tells me that in the future I need to clarify certain things before signing a contract to help ensure I can work with the realtor--ie., is the realtor open to the idea of using my photos which I've shown them? Can we work together to write the description (if I don't like at all what they wrote)? I like the idea of teamwork but also respect that my realtor is an experienced professional in his/her field (or should be) and needs to lead the way with his/her expertise. Yes, I need to let him do his job but I need to be able to trust him.
The way I look at this situation: it reminds me of when you have a reservation at a nice restaurant. You arrive on time but they keep you waiting half an hour before seating you. Then the waiter delays taking your order for another half hour. Then the order gets screwed up. And the usual is that if it get's off to a bad start, it will usually end badly, too. (Just my experience).
Obviously, the clutter didn't cause a problem but that's really on your agent. They or someone who works with them really should be there when the photographer shows up so that they can make sure your house is properly "staged" for the photos. Photographers are just there to take a picture. They don't clean up and they don't rearrange furniture. Agents know that.
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Theoretically, I believe an agent should help with preparing the property for photos and educate the seller on staging, decluttering and all that. I had an excellent realtor in WA who did all that--she was great. However, down here in NM, I have yet to talk to a realtor who sees anything wrong with a house that looks very "lived in"!! This is why I cleaned up and decluttered my house/property and took my own photos. I commend all those realtors who help their sellers to show their property at it's best.
I will also add that I was not happy with the photos for my recently sold house. My realtor hired a professional photographer but he did not do a good job and in a couple of cases, left visible clutter that I had expected would be temporarily removed while he was taking the pictures. Not real messes, just things like baskets with papers - they looked neat enough for showings, but were much too front and center in the photos. But that didn't stop me for getting lots and lots of showings and selling quickly.
Obviously, the clutter didn't cause a problem but that's really on your agent. They or someone who works with them really should be there when the photographer shows up so that they can make sure your house is properly "staged" for the photos. Photographers are just there to take a picture. They don't clean up and they don't rearrange furniture. Agents know that.
I wasn't expecting furniture moved, and the place was pretty much staged. There were just a couple of baskets of things that I would have expected to be moved out of the way for photos as I didn't have anywhere to store them where they might not have ended up in the way in a different photo. They (not sure if it was the agent or photog) did move a few things off the kitchen counters for the photos, so I don't think my expectations that they might have also moved baskets in the living room was way out of line.
I can also be a bit of a perfectionist and it's entirely possible that my expectations/standards were higher than they needed to be. It didn't stop me from having about 30 showings in just over 2 weeks before going under contract.
And it was better than someone I know who said that her housecleaner, there to vacuum right before the photos were taken, picked up a pair of slippers off the floor and left them on the bed, and yep, captured for posterity in the photos! lol!
I wasn't expecting furniture moved, and the place was pretty much staged. There were just a couple of baskets of things that I would have expected to be moved out of the way for photos as I didn't have anywhere to store them where they might not have ended up in the way in a different photo. They (not sure if it was the agent or photog) did move a few things off the kitchen counters for the photos, so I don't think my expectations that they might have also moved baskets in the living room was way out of line.
I can also be a bit of a perfectionist and it's entirely possible that my expectations/standards were higher than they needed to be.
Umm . . . perfectionists don't leave baskets of papers laying around, anyway. If you didn't want them in the photos, you should have moved them. We give sellers a walk-through ahead of time for photography and give them a couple of days to get things organized (like papers on a desk), but some people just can't see their house as a buyer needs to see it. At least you weren't leaving dirty underwear on the bedroom floor (which got kicked under the bed -- I guess they were surprised when they finally moved) or sex toys on the nightstand (don't ask . . .)
We have three photographers that we work with exclusively, depending on the property. One of them takes about 2-1/2 hours to photograph a 5,000 sf house, because she approaches it as an artist. "Get me something . . . red . . . " she says, after surveying a kitchen. "It needs a pop of color -- HERE." Personal items on nightstands get temporarily wisked behind the oh-so-fluffy pillows. A towel in a bathroom is rolled, instead of just draped. Magazines OFF the table. In fact, CLEAR the table, leave one small piece of art -- THAT one (pointing to something from another room.) She looks at the bones of a room, and tries to bring those "bones" out, with judcious accessories. And yes, we pay dearly for her services. And yep, the pictures look AMAZING.
Another photographer surveys the room and says, "OK, this needs to move." He doesn't really have an artist's eye, but he does have an eye as to things that DON'T belong. Sometimes, though, he's going so fast he misses the slipper peeking out from under the bed, or the dog toy on the rug. That's where I come in.
I go to every shoot, because there are often some features I want to highlight, and there's often some areas I don't want them wasting their time on (no, don't care about the laundry in the garage.) I tidy, I arrange, I fetch and carry, I fix drapes, I arrange blinds, I discreetly wisk away too-big flower arrangements. Novelty sponge holder in the kitchen? Gone. Kids toys in the bathtub? Gone, except for maybe an artfully placed yellow ducky on a nicely folded towel. Papers on a desk? Sometimes we'll just shoot around them, if we can. I really don't like fiddling with people's personal papers -- but if they leave them out for everyone to see, they must not care. Still uncomfortable . . .
Have you thought about selling the house yourself? If you can get out of the listing contract...
FSBO isn't for everyone, but if you have the time and are willing to do a few things yourself, it might be worth it.
No offense to any Realtors on the site, but I will never use an agent to buy or sell a house again. I am selling my house right now and regret paying my listing agent half of the 5% commission in exchange for getting me on MLS and acting as an unnecessary intermediary. I like my Realtor as a person, but there were so many times I wanted to talk to the buyer's agents directly. Instead, we have to play the game of telephone with an extra person involved.
Your situation, where the Realtor didn't listen to you and committed a major ethics violation only furthers that opinion. If you have a unique property and set ideas on how to position it to buyers, you may not want to give up control either.
If you do list yourself, don't forget to clearly advertise that you will pay x% to a buyer's agent or they will not show your house. Other than that all you have to do is get it listed on MLS and relevant internet sites, and you just save yourself a couple percent.
Thought I'd mention....I know some agents who like to copy old listings and old photos, dimensions, typos and all. It's the easy way out.
And then if the client doesn't like that...oh, they're micromanaging. Again, the easy way out and sounds like a good excuse to give others.
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